Whiffletree-coupling



(No Model.)

J. ZELIFF.

WHIFFLETREE COUPLING. No. 889,350.

J Ea;

I z K Patented Sept. 11, 1888.

Nirnn ArENr tries.

JAMES ZELIFF, OF \VOODSIDE, NE\V JERSEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 389,350, datedSeptember 11, 1888.

Application filed February 18, 1888. Serial No. 265.582.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J AMES ZELIFF, a citizen of the United States,residing at \Voodside, Essex county, New Jersey, have invented certainnew and useful Improvementsin W'hi'fflctree-Couplings, fully describedand represented in the following specification and the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of the same.

The object of this invention is to furnish a more convenient andeffective means of attaching a whi'ftletree to a wagon-pole or to theplatform of a horse-car and to hold the ends of the whifiietree securelyup from the ground to prevent the traces from dragging into such aposition that the horses may step over them.

The invention consists in the combination, with a plate secured to thepole or front of the car and provided with a st nd and a slot in therear of the stud, of a whillletree pivoted upon the stud and providedwith a downwardlyprojecting lug fitted within theslot.

In one form of my invention the improvement consists in curving the saidlug backwardly from the whiftletree and in applyinga hook or staple tothe front edge of the whiffie tree to suspend the samein an inclinedposition with the lug projected normally downward.

In the drawings, Figure l is an edge view, and Fig. 2 a plan, of thedraw-bar. Fig. 3 is a rear view, and Fig. i a plan, of the Whitfietree.Fig. 5 is an end view of the whiftletrce; and Fig. 6 is a diagramshowing the whiftlctree and draw-bar attached to the platform of ahorse-car, a part of the platform P being shown merely in dotted linesand the whiflletree and part of the draw-bar being shown incross-section on line aain Fig. 4. Fig. 7 isa view of the draw-barsimilar to Fig. 1, with the whiffietree represented over it in theposition it would assume when suspended by a hand-hook, the collars andlinks which serve for the attachment of the traces at the ends of thewhiftletree being omitted in Fig. 7, so as to show the recess and holefor the stud at the center of the whiflletrce more clearly.

a is the plate, (shown as the butt of the drawbar,) secured to theear-platform by bolts Z), and provided near its outer end with anupwardly-projecting stud, c, and a transverse slot, (1, in the rear ofthe stud. A circular boss, 6, is represented at the base of the stud. fis the whiftletree, provided at its ends with (No model.)

collars g and links it to attach the traces, as usual. The whiftletreeis provided with a socket, t, at the center to admit the stud c and witha downwardly-projecting lug,j, affixed to its rear side to enter theslot (1. Thelugis preferably curved backward, as shown in Figs. 5, 6,and 7, so that when fitted in the slot (2 the whiiiletree cannot bedetached without tipping it backward, as shown in Fig. 7.

An eye or loop, is, is affixed to the top oftlie whiflletree upon itsfront side, so that when the whifiletree is lifted by a hand-hook, as iscommon when the driver applies the whittletree to the draw-bar, thewhiflletree may be tipped into an inclined position with the curved endof the lug hanging downward, as shown in Fig. 7, to readily enter theslot (Z. A plate, g, is fitted upon the underside of the whifiletree tosustain the wear, and is perforated to fit the boss 6, which ispreferably used at the base of the stud c to afford a broad hearing forthe whiflletree and to increase the wearing-surface.

The principal function of the ing), in conjunction with the slot (1, isto limit the angular movement of the whiftletrce upon the stud c, thelug striking one end of the stud if the whiffletree is turned more thanfifteen degrees from its normal position at right angles to thedraw-bar.

If the car gets off the track, the lug there fore operates when thehorses pull laterally to increase the leverage of the whiftletrce uponthe draw-bar, and thus adds materially to the force exerted upon the carto pull it again upon the track. Such function of the lug j could beperformed without curving it backward; but the curve obviously operates,as shown in Fig. 6, to prevent the whifl'letrce from lifting off of thestud 0 without tipping backward, as shown in Fig. 7, such backwardtipping being wholly prevcnted by the draft upon the traces. The curvein the lug] is not,therefore, essential, but very desirable.

The invention may be applied to the pole of a wagon by providing thesame with the stud c and slot d shown upon the draw-bar herein.

By my invention the stud 0 may be made very short and the whiftletreeapplied thereto with less effort than if it were made of great length toprevent the detachment ofthc whifllctree.

In my invention such detachment is prevented by the curved lug j, therear end of which hooks under the plate a and wholly prevents suchlifting without a backward tipping of the whiffletree. v

The plate a (shown as a draw-bar herein) may obviously be prepared bythe maker and provided with the stud c and slot (1 and used by thepurchaser in connection with a wagonpole or car-platform, as may bedesired.

Having thus set forth my invention, what I claim herein is- 1. Thecombination, with the plate (1, having stud a and transverse slot at inthe rear of the stud, of a whiffletree fitted to the stud and providedwith a downwardly-projecting lug to fit within the slot (l, as and forthe purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with the plate a, having stud c and transverse slotd in the rear of the stud, of a whiffietree fitted to the stud andprovided with a lug, j, projected downwardly from the rear of thewhiffletree and curved back wardly therefrom to fit within the slot d,subsfantially as herein set forth.

3. The combination, with the plate at, having stud c and transverse slotd in the rear of the stud, of a whiffietree fitted to the stud andprovided upon its rear side with a lug projecting downwardly to fitWithin the slot d, and provided upon its upper front side with an eye orloop for lifting the whiffietree and sustaining it in an inclinedposition, substantially as herein set forth. r

4. The combination, with the plate 0, having stud 0, boss 6, andtransfer-slot d, of the whifiietree provided with plate 9, fitted to theboss 6, and downwardly-projecting lug adapted to fit Within the slot d,substantially as herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesscs.

JAMES ZELIFF.

Vitnesses:

HENRY J. MILLER, F. O. FISCHER.

